Jay Chou

Jay Chou at the "Secret" premiere in Seoul, South Korea, January 10, 2008

Chinese Name: 周杰倫 (Traditional)
Chinese Name: 周杰伦 (Simplified)
Pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún (Mandarin)
Jyutping: Zau1 Git6 Leon4 (Cantonese)
Origin: Republic of China (Taiwan)
Born: January 18, 1979 (age 31)
Linkou, Taipei, Taiwan
Other Name(s): President Chou (周董)
Occupation:

• singer
• musician
• songwriter
• composer
• record producer
• rapper
• deejay
• music video director
• film director
• music arranger
• model
• screenwriter
• actor

Genre(s): R&B, C-hip hop, C-pop, C-rock
Instrument(s):

• piano
• violin
• cello
• guitar
• drum
• guzheng
• bass guitar
• keyboard
• pipa
• erhu
• harmonica

Label(s):

• Sony Music Taiwan (2008–present)
• JVR Music (2007–present)
• Alfa Music (1999–2007)
  

Years Active: 2000–present
Parents: 周耀中 (father), 葉惠美 (mother)
Influenced: Nan Quan Mama
Official Website: jay2u.com, jvrmusic.com

Awards

Hong Kong Film Awards
Best Newcomer
2006 Initial D
Best Original Film Song
2007 "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (Curse of the Golden Flower)

Golden Horse Awards
Best Newcomer
2005 Initial D
Outstanding Taiwanese Film of the Year
2007 Secret
Best Original Song
2007 "The Secret That Cannot Be Told" (Secret)

MTV Asia Awards
Favorite Artist, Taiwan
2002, 2005

Golden Melody Awards
Best Mandarin Album
2001 Jay
2002 Fantasy
2004 Ye Hui Mei
Best Music Video
2009 "Mr. Magic" (Capricorn)
Best Song of the Year
2008 "Blue and White Porcelain" (On the Run)
2009 "Fragrant Rice" (Capricorn)
Best Composer
2002 "Love Before A.D." (Fantasy)
2008 "Blue and White Porcelain" (On the Run)
Best Producer
2002 Fantasy
Best Single Producer
2007 Fearless EP
Best Male Mandarin Artist
2009 Capricorn (Capricorn)
Best Composer (Instrumental Category)
2008 "Piano Room" (Secret)
Best Producer (Instrumental Category)
2008 Secret Original Movie Soundtrack (Secret)

Other Awards
World Music Awards
Best-Selling Chinese Artist
2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
Shanghai Film Critics Awards
2007 Best Actor (Curse of the Golden Flower)

Jay Chou (traditional Chinese: 周杰倫; simplified Chinese: 周杰伦; pinyin: Zhōu Jiélún; Wade-Giles: Chou Chieh-lun; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Chiu Kia̍t-lûn) (born January 18, 1979) is a Taiwanese musician, singer, music and Film producer, actor and director who has won the World Music Award four times. He is well-known for composing all his own songs and songs for other singers. In 1998 he was discovered in a talent contest where he displayed his piano and song-writing skills. Over the next two years, he was hired to compose for popular Chinese singers. Although he was trained in classical music, Chou combines Chinese and Western music styles to produce songs that fuse R&B, rock and pop genres, covering issues such as domestic violence, war, and urbanization.

In 2000 Chou released his first album, titled Jay, under the record company Alfa Music. Since then he has released one album per year except in 2009, selling several million copies each. His music has gained recognition throughout Asia, most notably in regions such as Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and in overseas Asian communities, winning more than 20 awards each year. He has sold over 175 million albums worldwide. He debuted his acting career in Initial D (2005), for which he won Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor by Hong Kong Film Awards for his role in Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). His career now extends into directing and running his own record company JVR Music.

Life and Career

Jay Chou grew up in Linkou, Taipei County, Taiwan. Both his parents were secondary school teachers: his mother Ye Hui Mei (traditional Chinese: 葉惠美; pinyin: Yè Huìměi) taught fine arts while his father Zhou Yao Zhong (Chinese: 周 耀中; pinyin: Zhōu Yàozhōng) was a biomedical researcher. His mother noticed his sensitivity to music and took him to piano lessons at the age of three. During his childhood, he was fascinated with capturing sounds and songs with his tape recorder, which he carried everywhere with him. In the third grade, he became interested in music theory and also started cello lessons. As an only child, he enjoyed being the family's center of attention; he loved to play piano, imitate TV actors, and perform magic tricks. His favourite composer was, and still is to this day, Chopin. His father left him when he was 14; as a result, he became reclusive and introverted. Although he had friends, he often preferred to be alone, listening to music, contemplating and daydreaming. At Tan Jiang Senior High School, he majored in piano and minored in cello. He showed talent for improvisation, became fond of pop music and began to write songs.

Chou graduated from high school with inadequate grades for university, so he prepared for military service, which was compulsory for all Taiwanese men at the age of 18. However, a sports injury triggered by an unexplainable and severe back pain eventually led to the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis, a hereditary spine inflammation disease; as a result, he was exempted from conscription. Meanwhile, he found himself a job as a waiter. Without his knowing, his friend had entered both their names in a talent show called Super New Talent King. Chou played the piano accompaniment for his friend, whose singing was described as "lousy". Although they did not win, the show's host Jacky Wu—an influential character in Taiwan's entertainment business—happened to glance at Chou's music score and was impressed with its complexity. Wu hired him as a contract composer and paired him with the novice lyricist Vincent Fang.

Over the next two years he wrote songs for Mandarin pop artists, and also learned recording and sound mixing; his dedication was apparent as he even slept in the music studio. Wu's music studio was later sold to Alfa Music, and the new manager Yang Jun Rong asked him to release his own album. Chou already had an arsenal of songs he wrote for others but had been rejected, so among those he chose 10 for his debut CD Jay that was released in 2000. The album established his reputation as a musically gifted singer-songwriter whose style is a fusion of R&B, rap, classical music, and yet distinctly Chinese. His fame spread quickly in Chinese-speaking regions including countries throughout Southeast Asia. Since 2000, Chou has released one album per year, each selling several million copies, and has been recognized with hundreds of awards. In 2003, he was the cover story of Time magazine (Asia version), acknowledging his influence on popular culture. He has held three world tours, "The One" (2002), "Incomparable" (2004) and "Jay Chou The World Tours" (2007–2008) performing in cities such as Taipei, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver. Unlike most singers, Chou has an enormous amount of creative control over his music. He is not only the songwriter but also the producer in all of his albums; since 2005 he is also the music director and also directs his own music videos.

While continuing to release an album yearly, he also entered the movie business with his debut role as the lead actor in Initial D, for which he won Best Newcomer at the Golden Horse Awards in 2005. The following year, Chou was cast as a supporting character in the worldwide release of Curse of the Golden Flower, starring international Chinese stars Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li, giving Chou his brief but formal introduction to non-Chinese-speaking countries. In February 2007, he finally fulfilled his childhood dream of being a director in Secret, in which he also played the main character. In March 2007, his eight-year contract with Alfa Music ended. Chou, his manager Yang Jun Rong, and lyricist Vincent Fang co-founded a new record company, JVR Music (which is an acronym for Jay, Vincent, Jun Rong) through which Chou will continue his music career and fulfill his goal of fostering new singing talent.

Music

Musical style
Chou's compositions are loosely categorized as pop music. While many of his works fall into contemporary R&B, rap, and rock genres, the term "Chou Style" (traditional Chinese: 周氏風格; pinyin: zhōu shì fēnggé) has been popularized to describe his trademark cross-cultural music and his insistence on singing with relaxed enunciation. Taipei Times once described the meaning of "Chou Style": "In what has become the archetypal Chou style, Taiwan's favorite son blends pop, rap, blues and a smorgasbord of esthetic elements of world music to create his dream-like never-never land ..."

He regularly fuses traditional Chinese instruments and styles with R&B or rock to form a new genre called "Zhongguo feng" (simplified Chinese: 中国风; traditional Chinese: 中國風; pinyin: Zhōngguó fēng), some of which are written in the Pentatonic Scale as opposed to the normal seven-note scale (Diatonic Scale) to accentuate an oriental style. Besides his own culture, he also incorporated Spanish guitar in "Red Imitation" (traditional Chinese: 紅模仿; pinyin: hóng mófǎng), American techno/electronica in "Herbalist's Manual" (traditional Chinese: 本草綱目; pinyin: Běncǎo Gāngmù), rap with subtle classical music undertones in "Reverse Scales" (traditional Chinese: 逆鱗; pinyin: nìlín), and Bossanova style in "Rosemary" (traditional Chinese: 迷迭香; pinyin: mídiéxiāng), to name a few. Sound effects from everyday life are frequently woven into his music, such as bouncing ping pong balls, touch tone phone dialing, helicopter blades, dripping rain, and radio static noise (concrete music).

His formal musical training is evident by the use of classical textures in his compositions. For example, counterpoint was used in "Perfection" (simplified Chinese: 完美主义; traditional Chinese: 完美主義; pinyin: wánměizhǔyì) and "Sorry" (simplified Chinese: 对不起; traditional Chinese: 對不起; pinyin: duìbuqǐ), while polyphony can be found in "The Wound That Ends War" (simplified Chinese: 止战之殇; traditional Chinese: 止戰之殤; pinyin: zhǐ zhàn zhī shāng) and "Twilight's Chapter Seven" (traditional Chinese: 夜的第七章; pinyin: yè de dì-qī zhāng).

Chou's albums have been noted for the lack of change compared to his earlier works, yet he firmly stated that he will not alter his style: "They say I've been standing still ... but this is the music I want, and I don't see what I want by moving ahead." To demonstrate his point, he named his 2006 album Still Fantasy after his 2001 album Fantasy. His use of relaxed enunciation has been criticized as "mumbling" which he also insisted will not change; however, recently he has adopted clearer pronunciation for certain songs, particularly more traditional "Zhongguo feng" songs, such as "Faraway" (traditional Chinese: 千 里之外; pinyin: qiānlǐ zhīwài) and "Chrysanthemum Terrace" (Chinese: 菊花台; pinyin: júhuā tái).

Lyrics
Strictly speaking, Chou is more often a singer-composer than a lyricist. Several "regulars" write the lyrics for most of his music, but the content and style is unified with his own personality and image, covering a diverse range of topics and ideas. Vincent Fang accounts for more than half of the lyrics in his albums, helping to establish an important element in Chou's music: the use of meaningful, imagery- and emotionally-rich lyrics, sometimes written in the form of ancient Chinese poetry with reference to Chinese history or folklore. In addition to writing romantic hits, he also touches on war, the Bible, sports, and martial arts. Vivian Hsu is a singer herself and has helped with Chou's earlier hits, while Huang Jun Lang (simplified Chinese: 黄俊郎; traditional Chinese: 黃俊郎; pinyin: Huáng Jùnláng) is noted for his work surrounding unusual themes (such as a detective story and chess game).

Chou himself has written lyrics for many love ballads, but has also discussed societal ills such as drug addiction in "Coward" (Chinese: 懦夫; pinyin: nuòfū) and loss of the rural countryside to urbanization in "Terrace fields" (Chinese: 梯田; pinyin: tītián). Domestic violence discussed in "Dad, I am back" (simplified Chinese: 爸,我回来了; traditional Chinese: 爸,我回來了; pinyin: bà, wǒ huílai le) received a great deal of commotion since he was the first to bring up this taboo subject in Chinese music, which helped solidify his status as a pioneer and a unique pop singer capable of approaching serious issues. In the songs "Maternal grandmother" (Chinese: 外婆; pinyin: wàipó) and "Listen to your mother/Listen to Mama's words" (simplified Chinese: 听妈妈的话; traditional Chinese: 聽媽媽的話; pinyin: tīng māma de huà), he voiced his high regard for family values. He addressed personal issues about his failure to enter university in "Split" (Chinese: 分裂; pinyin: fēnliè), his resentment towards the paparazzi in "Besieged From All Sides" (Chinese: 四面楚歌; pinyin: sìmiànchǔgē), and highlighted the importance of individuality in "Popular Imitation" (simplified Chinese: 红模仿; traditional Chinese: 紅模仿; pinyin: hóng mófǎng). "Rice Aroma/Paddy Fragrance" (Chinese: 稻香; pinyin: dào xiāng), a song from his 9th album Capricorn encourages people not to give up their dreams even when facing difficulties in life.

Collaborations
Chou began as a songwriter for other singers and continued this area of work even after he debuted his own career in singing. He has composed frequently for Jolin Tsai, Landy Wen, and occasionally for other Taiwanese singers such as Coco Lee, S.H.E, Vivian Hsu, Leehom Wang, Will Liu, Valen Hsu, and Hong Kong pop stars Edmond Leung, Gigi Leung, Jordan Chan, Edison Chen, Karen Mok, Leo Ku, Eason Chan, and Joey Yung, as well as a one-time collaboration with Howard Su. He has also written for singers outside of his generation—over one dozen songs for his mentor Jacky Wu, later also for Taiwanese singer Jody Chiang, and Hong Kong singers Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Lui Fong (simplified Chinese: 吕方; traditional Chinese: 呂方; pinyin: Lǚ Fāng), Aaron Kwok, and Kenny Bee.

He initiated the band Nan Quan Mama in 2004, selecting band members and overseeing their album production. The group has been noted for sounding too similar to their mentor; as a result, Chou has reduced his involvement in the band, but continues to help increase their exposure to mass audiences by inviting them as guests performers for his own concerts and music videos.

He has performed live duets with Landy Wen, Jolin Tsai, and former girlfriend news anchor Patty Hou, but only two studio recordings of duets have been formally placed in his own albums: "Coral Sea" (Chinese: 珊瑚海; pinyin: shānhú hǎi) in 2005 with Lara Veronin (of Nan Quan Mama) and "Faraway" (Chinese: 千里之外; pinyin: qiānlǐ zhīwài) in 2006 with Fei Yu-Ching, who began his career in the 1970s. Besides working with singers, Chou's longest-running collaboration is with lyricist Vincent Fang, as they both started their careers in the music field in 1998. The compilation album Partners (simplified Chinese: 拍档; traditional Chinese: 拍檔; pinyin: pāidàng) featured 12 songs, each consisting of Chou's musical and Fang's lyrical compositions. Fang has written the words to more than 40 of Chou's songs, was the chief editor of Chou's book Grandeur de D Major (simplified Chinese: D调的华丽; traditional Chinese: D調的華麗; pinyin: D diào de huálì), and is now Chou's business partner (together with Chou's manager JR Yang) for the record company JVR Music. Jay Chou was also featured in Cindy Yen's (袁詠琳) song "Sand Painting" (畫沙) released in October 2009.

Other Works

Movie career
Chou formally entered the film industry in 2005 with the release of the movie Initial D (頭文字Ｄ). He has since acted in three other movies, directed one film and more than a dozen music videos. Chou, who once said "I live because of music", ventured into movies because he felt the need for a new challenge. As fans have grown concerned that movies will compromise his music career, Chou has repeatedly reassured that movies are a source of inspiration and not a distraction; at the same time, he realizes the need to balance both careers and maintain his place in the music field to garner the continued support of fans.

Acting
Jay Chou at a promotional event for
Kung Fu Dunk in January 2008
Entry into acting was an unexpected move for Chou. His high school English teacher thought he was capable of very few facial expressions, and the director of Hidden Track (2003, a movie in which Chou had a cameo role) said that his strong individualistic personality will not make him a good actor. In 2005, Chou's first role as the lead actor in Initial D served two purposes: to launch his acting debut, and to increase his exposure to Japanese audiences. This film is based on the Japanese comic Initial D, where Chou played Takumi Fujiwara, a gifted touge racer who is quiet and rarely shows expression. Some reviewers criticized his bland acting while others felt he performed naturally, but only because the character’s personality closely mirrored his own. His performance in Initial D won him Best Newcomer Actor in Golden Horse Awards and Hong Kong Film Awards. Chou’s second film was Curse of the Golden Flower (2006). As a supporting character, he drew much of the attention of Chinese reporters; Chou’s involvement in this movie was announced in its own press conference, separate from the meeting held for Chow Yun-Fat, Gong Li, and the other actors. Chou portrayed Prince Jai, the ambitious second eldest prince and general of the Imperial army whose personality epitomizes Xiao (孝), the Chinese virtue of filial piety. In this internationally-released film, North American audiences saw Chou for the first time. According to Chinese movie critics, comments about his acting ranged from "lacks complexity" to "acceptable," but was critically praised by Western reviewers. His performance in Curse of the Golden Flower was nominated Best Supporting Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards. In the 2008 film Kung Fu Dunk, Chou portrayed a kung fu student and dunking prodigy, and the film earned over ¥100 million (US$14.7 million). Chou was cast to portray Kato in The Green Hornet, directed by Michael Gondry and slated for release in January 2011, after Hong Kong actor Stephen Chow withdrew from the project.

Directing

Promotional poster for Secret
featuring Chou as a
director for the first time.

Chou's acquired his first directing experience in 2004 through music videos. He initially experimented with a song by the group Nan Quan Mama titled "Home" (Chinese: 家; pinyin: jiā) where he was involved throughout the entire process from research to editing. After learning the difficulties of being a director, he refused to direct again even at the request of his record company. However, his interest resurfaced again as he directed music videos for 4 of the 12 songs in own album November's Chopin in 2005, and later television advertisements. By 2006, he had taken responsibility for the storyboard, directing, and editing of music videos for all his songs. It is unclear how the public appraises his work, since music videos are rarely the subject of critical review; however, director Zhang Yimou said that Chou's directing abilities may surpass his own in the future, after viewing several of Chou's music videos.

In February 2007, Chou finally directed his first movie Secret. The story he wrote is based loosely on his relationship with a high school girlfriend, with a plot focused on music, love, and family. He stars as the lead actor of the film with Kwai Lun-Mei‎ as the female lead, and Hong Kong veteran actor Anthony Wong as Chou’s father. Despite previous experience in filming music videos, Chou admits that movies are more challenging due to storyline and time constraints. This movie was released in July 2007.

Book: Grandeur de D Major
Chou published his first book titled Grandeur de D Major (simplified Chinese: D调的华丽; traditional Chinese: D調的華麗; pinyin: D diào de huálì) on November 25, 2004. This 200-page book features a prologue written by his family, friends, and co-workers; the main section is a compilation of his personal attitudes, philosophies, and recollections of childhood experiences along with pictures from his music videos, many of which have never been released; and lastly, a list of the artist's major awards, musical and lyrical compositions, and discography. For the usually low-profile singer, this book revealed his personality and convictions that has served as the basis of his musical and public image. He demonstrated a strong appreciation of family values with an especially deep connection with his mother and maternal grandmother. His confidence and dedication towards music is evident as he dedicated 2 out of 7 chapters to music: the current state of the industry, his composition methodology, and the importance of individualism to his success in music. This pride is contrasted against his modesty and self-assessed naivety about many aspects in life, particularly regarding relationships and marriage.

Endorsements
In contrast to the United States where a negative connotation is placed on celebrities who endorse commercial products ("selling out"), in Asia, acquiring endorsement contracts with major brands are positive testaments of star-status. Chou has been a spokesperson for popular brands such as Pepsi (2002–2007), Panasonic (2001–2005), Motorola (since 2006), M-Zone/China Mobile (since 2003), Levi's (2004–2005), Deerhui (sporting goods, since 2003), and Metersbonwe Group (casual wear, since 2003), Colgate (2004–2005), popular computer game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002), science and nature magazine National Geographic (2005). To maximize the celebrity branding effect, advertisements are nearly always linked to his music and TV commercials are occasionally directed by him. He acted as the tourism ambassador for Malaysia in 2003. Recently, Jay is promoting Sprite with Angela Chang. In the commercial, he can be seen performing magic tricks.He also worked as a spokesperson for Shiatzy Chen.

Media and Public Relations

Public Image
Despite living under continual media scrutiny, Chou's public image has changed little over the years as he emphasizes individuality as his "personal philosophy". In his music, this is also evident as he fuses Chinese and Western styles and explores topics unconventional for a pop singer, which have been described as "authentic" and "revolutionary". The media describes a hard-working perfectionist with clear self-direction who is occasionally regarded as competitive and a "control freak". There is a misunderstanding about his nickname "President Chou" (Chinese: 周董; pinyin: Zhōu dǒng), used by both the press and fans to underscore his domineering personality and impact on Asian music, but also points at his musical talent since the Chinese word for president is a homonym of knowledge. Yet the origin of this nickname emerges from his fever of collecting antiques as the word "董" comes from "antique" in Chinese(古董). Outside of music, Chou is reported as shy, quiet, modest, and views filial piety as "the most important thing". In-line with his aim to present a positive image, he is a non-smoker, non-drinker, and does not go to nightclubs. Government officials and educators in Asia have awarded him for his exemplary behaviour, designated him a spokesperson in the youth-empowerment project "Young Voice" in 2005 and an anti-depression campaign in 2007, His lyrics for two songs has been incorporated into the school syllabus to inspire motivational and filial attitudes. In November 2007, Chou was criticized for attending the funeral of Taiwanese gang leader Chen Chi-li to console Chen's son Chen Chuhe, whom Chou met while filming Kung Fu Dunk. Jay has also admitted in a 2010 interview that he was wary of marriage, and does not hold any serious plans to marry at present.

Accolades
From the launch of his music career in 2000, Jay Chou has won more than 350 singer, singer-songwriter, and producer awards in Asia. The highly coveted Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan awarded "Best Album" for his debut CD Jay (2000) in 2001, and five awards (including "Best Album", "Best Composer", and "Best Producer") in the following year for the album Fantasy (2001). However, failure to win "Best Album" for three consecutive years has left him disheartened with award ceremonies. Although he continues to win more than 20 awards per year from various organizations in Asia, Chou has stated he will rely more on album sales as an indicator of his music's quality and popularity. In 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2008, he was awarded Best-Selling Artist in China by World Music Awards for the albums Common Jasmin Orange, Still Fantasy and On the Run.

Response to The News Media and Paparazzi
As with other stars, Chou has expressed a strong dislike of the paparazzi. In the early years of his career, unwanted attention by the media was usually dealt with by avoidance. In-line with his quiet nature, he frequently wore baseball caps and hoods while lowering his head and evading eye contact during interviews. In recent years however, he has been less passive about the invasion of his privacy. To discourage the paparazzi from taking unsolicited pictures, Chou is known to photograph the paparazzi that follow him. He openly calls the paparazzi "dogs" and tabloids "dog magazines", as shown in his lyrics for "Besieged From All Sides" (Chinese: 四面楚歌; pinyin: sìmiànchǔgē). The media have also accused Chou of evading compulsory military service by feigning to suffer from ankylosing spondylitis. Later that year he was acquitted after providing the relevant medical records and letters from the army confirming a lawful exemption from draft dated before the start of his music career.

Despite constant harassment and stalking by the media, he does acknowledge that not all media attention is unwelcome. Coverage by international journals and news agencies such as Time, The Guardian, and Reuters help ascertain his influence on mainstream culture. An editorial written by Kerry Brown of Chatham House named Chou as one of the 50 most influential figures in mainland China, one of only three singers on a list dominated by politicians and corporate owners. At the end of 2009, he was included on JWT's annual list of 100 Things to Watch in 2010.

Fanbase
It is difficult to estimate the size and global spread of Chou's fanbase. Jay's fanbase originated and grew extensively in his native country, Taiwan. The Mandarin-speaking populations of Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Mainland China make up a significant percentage of Chou's fans. Despite rampant piracy issues in this region of Asia, particularly in mainland China, every album Chou has released so far has surpassed 2 million sales. According to Baidu, the most popular internet search engine in mainland China, Chou is the number one searched male artist in 2002, 05, 06 and 07.

In Hong Kong, he has been the best-selling Mandarin artist for the past 4 years. According to a 2004 survey in five Chinese urban centers for children ages 9 to 14, 1 in 6 named Chou as their favorite idol; he was also reported as the favorite singer of youths aged 8 to 25 in a study conducted in seven Asian countries (2006). He has a solid fanbase throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. In Singapore, Chou was the second most searched celebrity behind Britney Spears in the music category.

Currently, Chou remains largely unknown outside of Asia, except in cities with large Chinese immigrant populations such as Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Toronto, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. He has held concerts in major venues such as the Acer Arena (Sydney - July 3, 2009), MGM Grand (Las Vegas—December 25, 2002), Shrine Auditorium (Los Angeles—December 18, 2004), and Galen Center (Los Angeles—December 24, 2007). His intention to increase his prominence in the Western world beyond Chinese audiences is clear. In 2006, Chou composed and sang the theme song for Fearless, a movie released in major theatres in most English-speaking countries, though the impact to his fame has been minimal. His role in Curse of the Golden Flower (limited release) marks his acting debut in North America. Despite having a supporting but important role in the story's plot, the North American version of the official posters only featured a view of his back, greatly contrasting the Asian versions where his face and name were clear and placed between the leading actor and actress. Although Chou is still far from being well-known to English audiences, this movie has brought him international exposure.

Chou has won the Favorite Male Artist of the 20th Golden Melody Awards in Taiwan. He did not attend the event to collect the award because he was on tour in Mainland China at the time.

Discography

Studio Albums
• Jay 周杰倫同名專輯 (November 7, 2000)
• Fantasy 范特西 (September 20, 2001)
• The Eight Dimensions 八度空間 (July 19, 2002)
• Ye Hui Mei 葉惠美 (July 31, 2003)
• Common Jasmin Orange 七里香 (August 3, 2004)
• November's Chopin 十一月的蕭邦 (November 1, 2005)
• Still Fantasy 依然范特西 (September 5, 2006)
• On the Run 我很忙 (November 2, 2007)
• Capricorn 魔杰座 (October 14, 2008)
• The Era 跨時代 (May 18, 2010)

Live Albums
• The One Concert Live (Includes The Eight Dimensions MV VCD) (October 28, 2002)
• 2004 Incomparable Jay Concert Live 無與倫比演唱會 2004 (Includes Common Jasmin Orange MV VCD) (January 21, 2005)
• Jay 2007 the World Tours Concert Live CD+DVD (January 30, 2008)

Compilations
• Partners—Music by Jay Chou and lyricist Vincent Fang (April 26, 2002)
• Initial J: Jay Chou's Greatest Hits (August 31, 2005)
• Secret 不能說的秘密(August 14, 2007)

Extended Plays
• Fantasy 范特西 Plus EP (December 21, 2001)
• Hidden Track 尋找周杰倫 EP (November 11, 2003)
• Fearless 霍元甲 Huo Yuan Jia (January 27, 2006)
• Curse of the Golden Flower 黃金甲 (December 11, 2006)

Other Works
• Nun-chuks 雙截棍 Shuang Jie Kun—Single (April 9, 2002)
• Neoprint 大頭貼—Single, no official release
• JIII MP3 Player—MP3 player endorsed by Jay Chou featuring songs from Initial D movie, three old demos and a personal message from Jay (June 26, 2005)
• Qian Shan Wan Shui 千山萬水—Official song for the Beijing 2008's Olympic Games (May 2008)

Filmography

Films

Year
Title
Chinese Title Role

2003
Hidden Track
尋找周杰倫 "Himself"

2005
Initial D
頭文字D "Takumi Fujiwara"

2006
Curse of the Golden Flower
滿 城盡帶黃金甲 "Prince Jai - Yuan Jie"

2007
Secret
不能說的秘密 "Jay - Ye Xiang Lun - 葉湘倫"
Director
Producer
Original story author

2008
Kung Fu Dunk
功夫灌籃 "Fang Shi Jie - Fong Sai Kit - 方世杰"

2009
The Treasure Hunter
刺陵 "Lead actor - Qiao Fei"

2010
True Legend
蘇 乞兒 "God of Wushu" / "Drunken God"
Heroic Detective
神探•李奧 Director

2011
The Green Hornet
青蜂侠 "Kato"
Secret 2
不能說的秘密2 "Jay - Ye Xiang Lun - 葉湘倫"
Director

Television

Year
Title
Chinese Title
Role

2010
Pandamen
熊 貓人 "Detective Leo Lee"
Director

Notes

• Examples of Chou's "Zhong guo feng" R&B: "East Wind Breaks" (東風破), "Hair Like Snow" (髮如雪), "Faraway" (千里之外). Examples of "Zhong guo feng" rock: "Nunchucks" (雙截棍), "Dragon Fist" (龍拳), "Golden Armor" (黃金甲).
• Examples of sound effects used in Chou's music: ping pong balls in "Class2 Grade3" (三年二班), touch-tone phone dialing in "Blue Storm" (藍色風暴), helicopter blades in "My Territory" (我的地盤), dripping rain in "You Can Hear" (妳聽得到), and radio static noise in "Nocturne" (夜曲).
• Examples of Oriental-style lyrics by Vincent Fang: "Shanghai 1943" (上海一九四三), "Wife" (娘子), and "Chrysanthemum Flower Platform" (菊花台).
• Examples of romantic lyrics by Vincent Fang: "Love Before Anno Domini" (愛在西元前), "Nocturne" (夜曲), "Common Jasmin Orange" (七里香), and "Perfectionist" (完美主義) .
• Vincent Fang's lyrics discuss war in "The Last Campaign" (最後的戰役) and "Wounds That End War" (止戰之殤), the Bible in "Blue Storm" (藍色風暴), sports in "Bullfight" (鬥牛) and "Class2 Grade3" (三年二班), and martial arts in "Nunchucks" (雙截棍) and "Ninja" (忍者).
• Examples of Vivian Hsu's work: "Adorable Woman" (可愛女人), "Tornado" (龍捲風), and "Simple Love" (簡單愛).
• Unusual themes of Huan Jun Lang's lyrics: detective story in "Twilight's Chapter Seven" (夜的第七章), a chess game in "Checkmate" (將軍).
• Examples of romantic lyrics by Jay Chou: "Black Humor" (黑色幽默), "Silence" (安靜), "Iron Box Of An Island" (半島鐵盒), "Fine Day" (晴天), "Excuse" (藉口), "Black Sweater" (黑色毛衣), and "White Windmills" (白色風車).
• "Snail" (蝸牛) and "Listen To Mother's Words" (聽媽媽的話)
• Golden Melody Awards: "…the Chinese pop music industry's equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the US are held annually to award professionals making music in Mandarin, Taiwanese, Hakka and any of Taiwan's Aboriginal languages."
• A similar book was published in Japanese, titled Grandeur de D major—Jay Chou Photo Essay (ISBN 4-901873-50-4).

List of Songs Written and Performed by Jay Chou

Notes

List Omissions
The following releases by Chou are omitted from this list:
• EPs
o Fantasy Plus 范特西+ (2001-12-21)
o Nun-Chucks 雙截棍 (2002-04-09)
o Hidden Track 尋找周杰倫 (2003-11-12)
o Huo Yuan Jia 霍元甲 (2006-01-20)
o Golden Armor 黄金甲 (2006-12-08)
• Live albums
o The One Concert Live (2002-10-28)
o 2004 Jay Incomparable Concert Live 2004 無與倫比演唱會 (2005-01-21)
o 2007 Jay Chou 2007 The World Tours Concert Live 周杰倫2007世界巡迴演唱會 (2008-06-05)
• Compilation albums
• Other works
o Neoprint 大頭貼 (Single, no official release)
o Chou's compositions for other singers

Music Genre/Style Definitions
Chou's combines a number of popular and culturally-distinct music styles. The following criteria are used to categorize music styles mentioned in the above list:

Common styles used in Chou's music:
R&B
Contemporary R&B is a genre of pop music, characterized by smooth vocal arrangements and a smooth beat. This is very different from traditional "Rhythm and Blues" which is not usually used in Chou's compositions.

"Zhong guo feng"
Chou has popularized a style of music called "Zhong guo feng", which means "Chinese Style" (中國風). ("Feng" on its own means "wind," but in context it is a shortening of the phrase "feng ge" (風格), meaning characteristic style or genre.) Zhong guo feng features traditional Chinese instruments and Western instruments, sometimes written in the Pentatonic Scale. Lyrics may be in the form of Chinese poetry and discuss themes related with Chinese history and folklore.

Hip-Hop
Rap and beat-heavy; may involve use of scratch, sound sampling, synthesizer music.

Pop
Although "pop music" can be used to describe any music that is popular, pop music refers to songs with a simple melody and beat, having a repetitive structure, and is easy to sing along.

Rock
Music with heavy use of guitar, drums, bass; strong beat.

Soft Rock
A genre of rock music, using similar instruments and others such as the piano. Lyrics are usually "less confrontational" than rock music.

Electronic
A general term for music where the instrumental track is largely synthesizer-based.

Classical
Classical music in this article refers to Western classical music styles of the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era (1600-1910).

Orchestra Music
A genre of classical music. Instruments include woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings.

Less common styles used in Chou's music:
Hip hop soul
A genre of R&B and soul singing styles, mixed with hip hop beats. Lyrics tend to be darker in theme.

Spanish
Involves distinct Spanish musical styles such as Flamenco music and the use of instruments such as the Flamenco guitar.

Tango
See Tango and Argentine music

Bossanova
A type of music which originated from Brazil.

Lullaby
Tonally simple music intended for children.

List of Jay Chou Tours

Jay Chou has held three world tours yet, "The One" (2002), "Incomparable" (2004) and "Jay Chou The World Tours" (2007–2008) performing in cities such as Taipei, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Las Vegas, Toronto and Vancouver.

Jay is planning a huge 4th Tour called "New Era World Tour", opening in Taipei in June 2010 to promote his 10th Album, but first of all to celebrate his 10 year career in the entertainment industry.
• The One (2002)
• Incomparable (2004)
• Jay Chou World Tours (2007–2008)
• New Era World Tour (2010-2011)

Source: Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia